VALLEY BOX BLOG

The Remarkable Life Expectancy of a Wooden Box

Tue, Feb 10, 2015

Some manufacturers who need a long lasting storage and shipping solution will turn to non-biodegradable packaging, such as plastic, assuming its lifespan is much longer than a wooden box. But did you know that wood can last for centuries? It’s true. Earth’s most valuable renewable resource does not decay when we treat it right.

According to a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) report titled Build Green: Wood Can Last for Centuries, decay is caused by microscopic thread-like fungi that attack the thick cell walls of wood. To live, decay fungi need four things:

Air

Favorable Temperatures

Moisture

Suitable Food Material

So, what do you have to do to make sure your wooden boxes or other wooden wares last for what feels like forever? The short answer is: you have to “stand in the way of decay.”

If the other conditions are right, fungi get their food from (you guessed it) wood! According to the report, “controlling their growth usually results from depriving fungi of the one condition that is simple to control—water. However, water by itself does not decay wood.”

Surprisingly, moist wood is actually more likely to decay. The reason for this is “the spores (like seeds of a flowering plant) from which decay fungi grow and attach wood cells are everywhere in the environment. If provided with enough moisture, these fungi will destroy the cell walls and weaken wood.”

In the advanced stages of decay, fungi produce fruiting bodies (better known as mushrooms) on wood. You’ve seen them jutting out of the sides of trees, right? Well, according to the USDA report, “each fruiting body produces billions of spores that, when released, are blown about by the wind. If they land on moist wood, they may begin growing and start the decay process again.”

To protect your wooden boxes, containers or other objects from water, moisture and decay for long life you can:

Use a coating that forms a moisture-impervious film, such as paints and varnishes, while keeping the seal at wood junctures intact

Use preservative-treated wood

Reduce moisture in your facility, storage areas, or other places where wooden boxes are kept

Wood boxes prove themselves to be a good investments over plastic packaging for their refurbishing opportunities as well. Wood elements of a package can easily be replaced no matter where you are in the world! Additionally, the cost of refurbishing typically doesn't exceed half the cost of a brand new container.

Valley Box demonstrates what is possible beyond just the typical wooden box. This specialty packaging manufacturer works with a wide variety of materials from wood to plastic, corrugate, metals and more. Discover how to take specialty packaging to the next level.